Baby Mandrill Is Zoo's First In 17 Years

After 17 years without a newborn in the Mandrill troop, the staff at Israel’s Ramat Gan Safari Park is celebrating the arrival of a male infant.

Photo Credit: Tibor Jager / Ramat Gan Safari Park

Born to 12-year-old Tinkerbell, the baby is strong and healthy. Tinkerbell is proving to be a devoted mother to the baby, who was named Tuvia (a new baby’s name always begins with the first letter of the mother’s name).

Native to tropical forests in western central Africa, Mandrills are the largest of all monkey species. Sexual dimorphism is extremely pronounced in Mandrills. Males are about twice as large as females and feature red, purple, and light blue skin patches on their faces and rumps. As Tuvia grows, he will gain the bright colors of an adult male, but for now he is more drably colored like his mother.

Mandrills are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Major threats include deforestation and hunting for bushmeat. Some zoo-born Mandrills have been successfully reintroduced into the wild.

See more pictures of Tuvia below.